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Dining Out Gluten FreeFollowing a gluten-free diet when you’re dining out may seem like a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be — it just takes a little planning and practice. Of course, the risk of eating gluten-containing foods increases whenever you eat food that is prepared by others, but by making careful menu selections and communicating your needs to your server, you’ll be on your way to an enjoyable and safe gluten-free meal. Consider the following:
Here’s a list of cuisines with suggestions for optimizing your dining experience. Diners: You can customize virtually any menu item at a diner, so this is an excellent, casual option. Eggs with hash browns (hold the toast), salads, roasted chicken, broiled fish and burgers without the bun can be made to order without gluten.
Mexican: Almost everything at a Mexican restaurant is gluten free (meat, chicken, fish, vegetables, rice and refried beans). Just ask for corn tortillas to be substituted for the flour ones (an easy change that doesn’t greatly affect the taste of the overall dish). Salsa, sour cream and guacamole are gluten free, so choose your favorite topping.
Chinese: White or clear sauces are safe since they are made with cornstarch, but brown sauces should be avoided since they are made with wheat-based soy sauce. Avoid the pancakes with the Moo Shoo, as well as the fried noodles that are placed on the table while you are ordering. Mei Fun noodles (pronounced MY FUN) are made from rice, and you can usually ask that they be substituted for any other kind of noodle.
Japanese: Some cooked Japanese dishes are prepared with wheat-containing teriyaki or soy sauce, but feel free to enjoy sushi or sashimi and simply bring your own bottle of wheat-free soy sauce. Stay away from tempura and imitation crabmeat, but try appropriate appetizers such as seaweed salad and any kind of vegetable or real fish roll (maki). Italian: This is the hardest type of food to adapt to the gluten-free diet. Bring your own gluten-free crackers or bread sticks to munch on instead of sampling the bread basket. Safe appetizers are a mozzarella cheese and tomato plate, steamed mussels, tri-color salad or grilled vegetables. Risotto is a naturally gluten-free entrée, or you can bring your own pasta and top with a meat or fish sauce — most restaurants will gladly cook it for you. For dessert, enjoy fresh fruit or your favorite flavor of sorbet.
Many restaurants now advertise gluten-free selections and you can often view their menus online. As awareness grows about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, an increasing number of large restaurant chains actually have complete gluten-free menus. Some of these include: Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse, PF Chang’s China Bistro, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. You can also use the restaurant locater on the Web site of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (www.glutenfreerestaurants.org) to find places to eat nationwide. Restaurants that participate in this program have been provided with diet education and preparation guidelines and agree to prepare meals accordingly (although it is always up to the individual to confirm ingredients and preparation methods). For more information:
Curried Talapia Rice PilafRather stay in than dine out tonight? Try this great gluten-free restaurant-style dish. Prep time: 20 minutes* *Marinate time extra Cook time: 20 minutes 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided 4 (4-oz.) tilapia fillets 1 small onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 2 tbsp. peeled, minced gingerroot or 2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tbsp. curry powder 1 (14.5-oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes Cooked brown rice (optional)
Serves 4 Per serving: 283 calories, 11g carbohydrate, 30g protein, 4g fiber, 14g fat, 2g saturated fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 123mg sodium |
